artificial islands. A floating city to challenge climate change.

If the sea level continues to rise, then the big cities should not retreat. A new concept proposes floating cities instead.

In the future, megacities threatened by sea-level rise will not be able to isolate themselves more and more from the approaching waters, but instead will make the best use of the situation. This is how the Oceanix concept can be described, where cities should expand into the sea.

Oceanix was founded by an American startup of the same name in collaboration with UN-Habitat, the United Nations housing programme. advanced. Here, floating platforms are placed in the bodies of water in front of the existing cities. Construction of the first “model” city is scheduled to begin as early as 2023 in Busan, South Korea’s second largest city.

marine mineral cement

In the first phase, Oceanix Busan will cover an area of ​​6.2 hectares and provide space for 12,000 people. The concept initially envisions three floating platforms connected by bridges on which people can live and work.

Pallets must have a base made of Biorock. Biorock is a cement building material consisting of minerals obtained from sea water. The platforms will be anchored to the sea floor but are built flexible enough to handle fluctuating water levels and will survive storm surges.

In addition to these main platforms, there are also several smaller platforms intended to support the floating city. Greenhouses or solar power plants, for example, will then be placed on them. This is how Oceanix Busan must be able to meet its own needs.

They are all completely sustainable

Of course, the entire city must also operate in a completely sustainable manner. Water and waste must be completely recycled. The buildings are said to be constructed of light wood such as bamboo. Cars are prohibited in the floating city, and the means of movement must be feet and bicycles.

Oceanix states that construction costs are $627 million, which sounds pretty cheap. Two years of construction are planned, with the floating city ready for occupancy in 2025. Later, expansions could create space for a total of 100,000 people.